Builder’s Care reveals results to Cape family

June 25, 2013

It went off with all the pomp and circumstance of an episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

Countless friends and relatives gathered at their Cornwallis Parkway home, a large truck screening the family from the finished product.

When ordered to "move that truck," the Meagher family were in awe at what they saw, a home that looked nothing like what they lived in just a few weeks ago.

The house was freshly painted. The kitchen, which was nearly destroyed by fire, was replaced. It even had working plumbing.

"It looks like the model when my parents bought this house," Theresa Meagher said after she saw the inside for the first time. "It doesn't look like my house anymore."

On Monday, members of Builder's Care, an organization devoted to helping families in need do some much-needed renovations on their homes, a color guard, and fellow veterans, shared Meagher's joy as her family's home was unveiled.

Builder's Care not only replaced the plumbing and rebuilt the kitchen, it also installed new appliances, which brought glee to the hundreds who entered the house for a tour after the ceremony.

Meagher could not express her gratitude enough as she struggled not to cry while addressing everyone.

"My superiors used to tell me I went above and beyond. You went above and beyond," Theresa said. "If I had a medal to give you, it would be a heart. You gave me my heart and heart went into this."

The home had been without running water because the pipes had failed, and a fire in the kitchen left the house uninhabitable for a time.

The family had been forced to adapt to their surroundings with the help of their mother, a 24-year veteran of the Army.

"One thing being in the service taught me is you adapt to everything," Meagher said.

Builder's Care Executive Director Heidi Taulman said it was a community effort to get the home ready in such a short period.

"More than 40 companies and community groups came together, led by Team Aubuchon and the Home Depot Foundation," Taulman said. "The plumbing had failed, so we had to replace every drain and supply line in the house. The kitchen was a disaster. It was more than $30,000 worth of renovations."

Taulman said Meagher was picked because of her service to community and country and because it was such an emergency situation, with the plumbing and kitchen.

Those involved with Builder's Care couldn't help but feel proud and humbled by the amount of help they receive.

"The longer I live in Cape Coral the more I'm amazed by the giving spirit in our community," Gary Aubuchon said. "It's not me, it's the team behind me doing all the work. I'm proud to represent a great group of people."

The HomeDepot Foundation, provided a $5,000 grant to fund kitchen cabinets, appliances, doors and other materials to renovate the kitchen and bathrooms. The family stayed at the Westin while the house was being rebuilt.